American Experience since 1945

1. Compare America's world status at the end of 1945 with where it is today.
2. How can you tell if a historical source is tainted with bias or a specific agenda?

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OTA 105878

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America in 1945

The Second World War was at an end and the world was heaving a sigh of collective relief but the horrors of the totality of the war in Europe, the Pacific and Asia was just being recounted and confronted for the first time. At this point in time America has proven that it is an effective military nation, more so because it has emerged as a Superpower. As Germany fell and Europe reconstructed the U.S. has no other remaining co-occupier in the Superpower status except the giant USSR, a WW2 ally who does not share a democratic ideology. From then on Global Patterns in terms of alignment between ideologies has changed, much as terrorism has changed political divisions beginning 2001. Hence the rivalry. After the WW2 treaties were signed for peace, yet soon after the Berlin Wall was erected that soon symbolised the ideological division beginning the Cold War that lasted till the late 80's and spanned a global conflict between the U.S. and the USSR albeit by proxy at times until the deadly and bloody Vietnam War. Pre-1945 American European Allies like the United Kingdom held overseas territories & nations under the Commonwealth, Post-War, independent nations slowly emerged from these territories as the old Empires became introspective & concentrated on rebuilding from the destruction of the War. 1945 marked the beginning of America's superpower status and that rivalry of ideology between communism and democracy; between the superpowers USSR & the United States. While this rivalry by proxy clashed in wars it also turned into a race for technology, a silent competition of becoming better than the other and took man to the Moon as well as started what we now term as the arms race. While President Harry Truman was determined to rebuild the Post-War world according to the Atlantic Charter: self-determination, equal economic access, and a rebuilt capitalist Europe, Josef Stalin was determined to set-up a world that was pro-Moscow & pro-communism. This determined stance by each nation in 1945 started out as a disagreement in terms of rebuilding according to the Yalta Conference that championed freedom. Russia decided to close itself from the proposed changes and was hence labelled, by no less than Winston Churchill as 'The Iron Curtain'.

In the US social scene, due to the Housing Programs that were developed from the time of the Depression as well as the programs that were in place for economic sustainability during the years of the war, an affluent middle class society emerged. Consumerism took the place of the war economy and America became an exporting powerhouse. Suburbs sprouted around major cities & industrial areas and men like W. Levitt developed subdivisions that became the ideal 'white picket fence' ...

Solution Summary

The solution looks at the development in American Life since 1945 via key events that presented itself from said period in American History. It further explains the use of Historical sources by explaining historiographic principles on the analysis of text/data sources to ascertain whether they are tainted, or biased.

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